Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a National Stage application of PCT/US2015/019407, filed Mar. 9, 2015, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/951,802, filed Mar. 12, 2014, both of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety herein.

BACKGROUND

Electrically conductive fabric has gained increasing attention for its potential application in a wide variety of devices including wearable electronics. Known methods of imparting conductivity to fabric, however, such as the incorporation of metals can result in issues such as loss of flexibility, weight increase, or the changing of texture.

Known approaches to form conductive fabric include use of graphene fibers from graphene oxide, infusing fabric with graphene oxide followed by reduction to graphene, transferring a patterned film made through chemical vapor deposition (CVD), and dispersing graphene with a surfactant that is then removed after infusion into the fabric with nitric acid. Unfortunately, graphene produced through the reduction of graphene oxide has severely reduced electrical and mechanical properties, CVD is not cost effective, and harsh chemical treatments that may affect fabrics are required to remove surfactants.

Intrinsically conducting polymers find wide application because of their conductive properties, low cost in manufacturing, mechanical flexibility, durability, and ease of processing. Intrinsically conducting polymers exhibit remarkably high conductivity and electrochromism, the ability to change colors when a potential is applied. In the field of smart textiles, conductive fabrics can be prepared using various methods; one method being to coat the fibers with conductive polymers.

There remains a need in the art for new, electrically conductive fabrics and textiles and simple, cost effective, and scalable processes to create such electrically conductive textiles.

BRIEF SUMMARY

In one embodiment, an electrically conductive fibrous substrate comprises a fibrous substrate comprising fibers; a conductive polymer; and a conductive organic particle, wherein the fibrous substrate is infused with the conductive polymer and conductive organic particle.

In another embodiment, a method of making an electrically conductive fibrous substrate comprises infusing a fibrous substrate with a conductive organic particle to form a conductive organic particle infused fibrous substrate; and infusing the conductive organic particle infused fibrous substrate with a conductive polymer to form an electrically conductive fibrous substrate

In another embodiment, an electrically conductive fibrous substrate comprises a fibrous substrate comprising polymeric fibers optionally comprising desiccant nanoparticles; PEDOT:PSS; and graphene, graphite, or graphene and graphite, wherein the fibrous substrate is infused with the PEDOT:PSS and graphene, graphite, or graphene and graphite.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 (A) Sheet resistance as a function of concentration of graphene/graphite infused into PET non-woven fibrous substrate. The percolation threshold can be observed at around 7 weight percent (wt %). (B) Resistance versus temperature plot of the infused fibrous substrate having a clear semiconductor-metal transition observed at around 350° K (also in inset).

FIG. 2 Sheet resistance as a function of concentration of graphene/graphite infused into the fibrous substrate; the percolation threshold can be observed to be around 7 wt %.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Disclosed herein are electrically conductive fibrous substrates and methods of making. The electrically conductive fibrous substrates generally contain infused conductive polymer and infused conductive organic particles in a fibrous substrate such as a fabric. The electrically conductive fibrous substrate maintains the flexibility of the original fibrous substrate material. The resulting conductive fibrous substrate is more cost effective than metal-based materials, there is no toxicity as compared to metal-based conductive fabrics, and it enables the preparation of wearable electronic devices.

In an embodiment, a method to infuse a fibrous substrate with an all organic graphene/graphite mix and conductive polymer to form a conductive fibrous substrate is disclosed. The resulting conductive fibrous substrate is a composite of the fibrous substrate, graphene/graphite, and conductive polymer and exhibits higher conductivity than a corresponding composition made from graphene/graphite or conductive polymer alone. As a composite, the conductive polymer and conductive organic particles are infused throughout the interstices of the fibrous substrate as opposed to merely being a film located at the surface of the substrate.

In one embodiment, a fibrous substrate is infused with graphene and/or graphite through a sonication process and then the graphene and/or graphite infused fibrous substrate is soaked in a solution or suspension of a conductive polymer, the substrate is removed from the solution/suspension, and dried to form a conductive fibrous substrate.

As discussed below, the conductive organic particle, desiccant nanoparticles, or a combination thereof can facilitate wicking of the conductive polymer into the fibrous substrate.

In an embodiment, the electrically conductive fibrous substrate exhibits semiconductive behavior at low temperature in the range of −173° C. to below 20° C. and metallic behavior at 20° C. and above.

In an embodiment, the electrically conductive fibrous substrate exhibits sheet resistances ranging anywhere from about 0.15 to about 10 Ohms/square depending upon the total amount of conductor.

In an embodiment, the conductive organic particle used is graphene, graphite, or a combination of graphene and graphite to form a graphene and/or graphite infused fibrous substrate. Pristine graphene can be prepared by exfoliating pristine graphite via sonification in an organic solvent and water to yield graphene flakes. Exemplary organic solvents that can be used in the exfoliating process include alkyl (e.g. n-heptane) and aromatic (e.g. o-dichlorobenzene) solvents.

The total amount of conductive organic particle infused in the conductive fibrous substrate can be about 0.2 to about 20 wt %, specifically about 1.0 to about 16 wt %, and more specifically about 2.5 to about 13 wt % based on the total weight of the conductive fibrous substrate. The total amount of graphene and/or graphite infused in the conductive fibrous substrate can be about 0.2 to about 20 wt %, specifically about 1.0 to about 16 wt %, and more specifically about 2.5 to about 13 wt % based on the total weight of the conductive fibrous substrate.

Exemplary electrically conductive polymers that can be used to prepare the electrically conductive fibrous substrate include poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (“PEDOT”) including poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (“PEDOT:PSS”) aqueous dispersion, a substituted poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene), a poly(thiophene), a substituted poly(thiophene), a poly(pyrrole), a substituted poly(pyrrole), a poly(aniline), a substituted poly(aniline), a poly(acetylene), a poly(p-phenylenevinylene) (PPV), a poly(indole), a substituted poly(indole), a poly(carbazole), a substituted poly(carbazole), a poly(azepine), a (poly)thieno[3,4-b]thiophene, a substituted poly(thieno[3,4-b]thiophene), a poly(dithieno[3,4-b:3′,4′-d]thiophene), a poly(thieno[3,4-b]furan), a substituted poly(thieno[3,4-b]furan), a derivative thereof, a combination thereof, and the like.

The electrically conductive polymer can be used in an amount of about 0.1 to 16 wt % based on the total weight of the conductive fibrous substrate, specifically about 1.5 to about 7.0 wt %, and more specifically about 2.0 to about 6.3 wt %.

The electrical conductivity of the conductive fibrous substrate can be readily modified, if necessary, to meet the requirements of a desired application by doping with conventional acidic dopants (p-dopants) or basic dopants (n-dopants) known in the art. Suitable p-dopants include mineral acids such as HCl, HNO3, H2SO4, H3PO4, HBr, and HI; organic sulfonic acids such as dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid, lauryl sulfonic acid, camphor sulfonic acid, organic acid dyes, methane sulfonic acid, and toluene sulfonic acid; polymeric sulfonic acids such as polystyrene sulfonic acid) and copolymers of styrene sulfonic acids; carboxylic acids such as adipic acid, azelaic acid, and oxalic acid; and polycarboxylic acids such as poly(acrylic acid), poly(maleic acid), poly(methacrylic acid), and copolymers formed from acrylic acid, maleic acid, and/or methacrylic acid. Conventional mixed dopants comprising one or more of the foregoing, such as a mixture of a mineral acid and an organic acid, can also be used to impart the desired electroactive character. Suitable basic dopants include, but are not limited to Na, K, Li, and Ca. Other suitable dopants include I2, PF6, SbF6, and FeCl3. In one embodiment the dopant is dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO).

The fibrous substrate that is used to prepare the conductive fibrous substrate can be a synthetic material, a natural material, or a combination thereof. The synthetic material can be made from any polymeric material such as nylon (e.g. nylon 6, nylon 66, nylon 610, nylon 12, co-polymerized nylon and the like), polyethylene terephthalate, polytrimethylene terephthalate, spandex (polyurethane-polyurea copolymer), polybutylene terephthalate, polypropylene terephthalate, polyurethane, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyester-based polyurethane, copolymers thereof, or a combination thereof. Natural materials that can be used to prepare the fibrous substrate include cotton, wool, and the like, or combinations thereof.

The term “fiber” as used herein includes single filament and multi-filament fibers, including yarn. No particular restriction is placed on the length of the fiber, other than practical considerations based on manufacturing considerations and intended use. Similarly, no particular restriction is placed on the width (cross-sectional diameter) of the fibers, other than those based on manufacturing and use considerations. The width of the fiber can be essentially constant, or vary along its length. For many purposes, the fibers can have a largest cross-sectional diameter of 2 nanometers and larger, for example up to 2 centimeters, specifically from about 5 nanometers to about 1 centimeter. In an embodiment, the fibers can have a largest cross-sectional diameter of about 5 to about 500 micrometers, more particularly, about 5 to about 200 micrometers, about 5 to about 100 micrometers, about 10 to about 100 micrometers, about 20 to about 80 micrometers, or about 40 to about 50 micrometers. In one embodiment, the conductive fiber has a largest circular diameter of about 40 to about 45 micrometers. Further, no restriction is placed on the cross-sectional shape of the fiber. For example, the fiber can have a cross-sectional shape of a circle, ellipse, square, rectangle, or irregular shape.

The term “fibrous substrate” can include flexible textile materials which may be woven or non-woven fibers. Woven materials include woven fabric formed by weaving, knitting, crocheting, knotting, pressing, braiding, or the like, multiple fibers together. Non-woven fabric materials may be formed by bonding multiple fibers together via a thermal, mechanical, or chemical process.

In an embodiment, a desiccant is used in the preparation of the polymeric fibrous substrate such that the fibers comprise desiccant particles wherein a portion of the desiccant particles are located at the surface of the fiber.

Exemplary desiccants include inorganic oxides such as silicon dioxide (SiO2), titanium dioxide (TiO2), aluminum oxide, calcium oxide, or a combination thereof. In a further embodiment, the desiccant is in particulate form having average particle size of about 1 nanometer (nm) to about 5 micrometer, specifically about 5 nm to about 500 nm, and more specifically about 10 nm to about 200 nm.

The desiccant nanoparticles can be present in an amount of about 0.01 to about 6.0 wt % by weight in the fiber, specifically about 0.05 to about 5.0 wt %, and more specifically about 0.1 to about 4.0 wt % by weight in the fiber.

The conductive fibrous substrate is flexible and can be used in smart textiles and other portable electronic devices. The technology is an enabling technology for all organic flexible electronics that can handle current densities comparable to copper. In an embodiment, the conductive fibrous substrate can act as an electrical wire. For example, a non-woven PET fabric containing 10.6 milligrams graphene/graphite and 5.78 wt % PEDOT:PSS in an electrical circuit with 2.87 Amp passing across the conductive fibrous substrate can light a 250 Watt light bulb.

Additionally, the conductive fibrous substrate can be an all organic replacement for indium tin oxide (ITO). It can also be used as a component in smart phones, tablets, e-readers; an electrochromic display e.g. in smart cards, smart price tags, and smart labels; used as a copper replacement; thin film batteries and energy storage; transparent solar cells; smart textiles e.g. for consumer products or patient monitoring devices embedded in textiles; vehicle and transportation systems including aerospace e.g. for wiring, electrochromic windows, and deicing applications, also conductive polymers also provide value to vehicles made from inherently nonconductive materials, which require static dissipation, monitoring, heating, or electrochromic characteristics; and wearable computers. The conductive fibrous substrate can find use as flexible display materials and other mobile devices which have a significant advantage in terms of durability of traditional devices, and for a new class of devices that are adaptable, or integral to textiles and garments. The electrical conductivity of the conductive fibrous substrate can be readily modified, if necessary, to meet the requirements of any of the previously mentioned applications by doping the polymers with conventional acidic dopants (p-dopants) and basic dopants (n-dopants) known in the art.

The electrically conductive fibrous substrate is easily scalable to high volume manufacture. In a general process, a fibrous substrate can be infused with a conductive organic particle to form a conductive organic particle infused fibrous substrate followed by infusing the conductive organic particle infused fibrous substrate with a conductive polymer to form the conductive fibrous substrate.

In an exemplary embodiment, the conductive organic particle is graphene, graphite, or a combination of graphene and graphite infused, for example, by an interfacial trapping method to form a graphene and/or graphite infused fibrous substrate. The interfacial trapping method generally involves exfoliating pristine graphite via sonification in an organic solvent and water to yield graphene flakes. Exemplary organic solvents that can be used in the exfoliating process include alkyl (e.g. n-heptane) and aromatic (e.g. o-dichlorobenzene) solvents. A fibrous substrate is then exposed to the sonicated mixture and sonicated to infuse the graphene and/or graphite into the fibrous substrate followed by removal of the substrate and drying to form a graphene and/or graphite infused fibrous substrate. In general, the weight/volume ratio of graphite to organic solvent is about 20 mg/mL and the weight/volume ratio of graphite to organic and aqueous solvent is about 10 mg/mL.

The electrically conductive polymer can then be infused in the conductive organic particle infused fibrous substrate using a variety of different techniques. For example drop casting, spray coating, ink jet coating, dip coating, gravure coating methods, extrusion coating, or a soaking process. Many of these processes are easily adaptable to large scale manufacture.

The techniques for infusing the electrically conductive polymer generally comprise forming a mixture of a solvent, the conductive polymer, and any optional additive (e.g. dopant), applying the mixture to a surface of the conductive organic particle infused fibrous substrate, and removing the solvent to form a conductive fibrous substrate infused with conductive organic particle, conductive polymer, and optional additive. The solvent can be water, an organic solvent, or a combination of water and a water miscible organic solvent. Exemplary organic solvents include dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), dichloromethane (DCM), toluene, N,N-dimethyl formamide (DMF), propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate (PGMEA), propylene glycol monomethyl ether (PGME), acetone, methanol, ethanol, or a combination thereof. The solvent can be removed by air drying, vacuum drying, heating, or the like.

The solvent-conductive polymer mixture used to infuse the fibrous substrate can contain the electrically conductive polymer at a concentration of about 0.1 wt % to about 5 wt %, based on the total weight of the mixture, specifically about 0.2 to about 4 wt %, more specifically 0.3 to about 4 wt %, and still more specifically about 1.0 to about 3 wt %.

In an embodiment, a PEDOT:PSS aqueous dispersion is infused in a graphene and/or graphite infused fibrous polyethylene terephthalate substrate to yield highly conductive fibrous substrates having sheet resistances ranging from about 0.2 to about 100 Ohms/square.

The following illustrative examples are provided to further describe how to make and use the conductive fibrous substrates and are not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention.

EXAMPLES

Example A

Infusion of Graphene/Graphite into a Polymeric Fibrous Substrate Using an Interfacial Trapping Method

An oven dried (for weight measurement) 4 cm2 piece of fabric (non-woven poly(ethyleneterephthalate) (PET)) is then placed into the scintillation vial. The vial is filled to the brim with n-heptane, and placed into a bath sonicator for 1 hour, after which the fabric is removed and dried in an oven. The fabric takes on a black color after treatment. After infusion of the graphene/graphite mixture, the fabric has the same general feel and flexibility as the initial sample. The method produces an electrically conductive fabric in a scalable and cost effective manner while retaining all of the fabric's mechanical strength. The solvents and graphene/graphite left in the vial may be reused for future samples.

Morphological Study: The initial tip sonication of the interfacial trapping method exfoliates the graphene, where it is then trapped at the interface between two immiscible solvents (here water and n-heptane). During the bath sonication, more graphene is exfoliated as the existing flakes are absorbed by the fabric. As seen in scanning electron microscopy images, the pristine graphite is trapped between the strands of the fabric, while the graphene flakes attach themselves to the strands themselves. This combination leads to percolation and high conductivity as the graphene flakes on the fibers of the fabric bridge any gaps between the larger graphite particles. Using this method, the fabric has been shown to hold up to 15 wt % graphene/graphite. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to confirm the presence of graphene/graphite in the sample compared to control fabric.

Percolation Threshold Study: Characterization was carried out using a four-line probe method with a Keithley 224 Programmable power supply (Imax=101.1×10−3 A), while a 196 system DMA was used to measure the voltage. Resistance was first measured by creating an I-V plot with at least 10 data points. The sheet resistance Rs was then determined using the relation R5=R(w/l,) where w is the width of the sample and l is the distance between the leads. FIG. 1A shows the sheet resistance as a function of the concentration of graphene in the fabric. The measurements were carried out using four-line probe technique and all samples have the same area. It was noticed that the sheet resistance decreases by increasing graphene concentration in the fabric. At low concentration (2.5 wt %) graphene in the fabric, the sheet resistance was 77.9 MOhm/square (sq) and 7.41 wt % gave 3.6 KOhm/sq, which means that the sheet resistance decreased by four orders of magnitude. The 7.41 wt % concentration was determined to be the percolation threshold for the sheet resistance because above this concentration a one order of magnitude difference was noticed in the sheet resistance with a minimum value 0.57 KOhm/sq. This value is nearly one order of magnitude lower than the best value reported for graphene in fabric to date.

Temperature Study: The effect of temperature on the resistance of the infused fabric containing 25.8 mg graphene was measured over the range of 10-400° K. The sample had area 10×5 mm2 and the measurements were made using a standard four-line probe technique in a Physical Property Measurement System (Quantum Design). As shown in FIG. 1B, the resistance decreases by increasing the temperature up to 350° K, which is consistent with semiconducting behavior with relatively constant resistance values from 100-250° K. The change in the resistance in the entire region is 5 KOhm. At 350° K the conductive fabric has a clear insulator-metal transition (inset of FIG. 1B).

The process for fabrication of a highly conductive fibrous substrate can be achieved in two steps. In the first step, the graphite/graphene infused fibrous substrate is fabricated by means of the interfacial trapping method described in Example A. A mixture of 5 mL heptane and 100 mg of pristine graphite was sonicated for 30 minutes, and then 5 mL water was added to this mixture and sonicated for the same time. The mixture was then added to a vial containing a piece of non-woven poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) fabric fibrous substrate containing SiO2 nanoparticles, 2.5×2.5 cm2, and sonicated for one hour, after which the fibrous substrate was removed and dried. The concentration of the mixture graphene/graphite is calculated by the mass difference between the original sample and the treated sample. In the second step, the dried graphite/graphene infused fibrous substrate is doped with the conductive polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS aqueous dispersion Clevios™ PH1000 from Heraeus USA) incorporating 5 wt % dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) by drop casting onto the substrate to saturation. The substrate was allowed to sit for 30 minutes and then dried in an oven at 110° C. for one hour to remove water. The concentration of PEDOT:PSS in the conductive fibrous substrate was calculated as the difference in weight between the substrate before and after adding PEDOT:PSS. Repetitive drop casting/drying cycles, referred to as “dipping cycles”, increased the PEDOT:PSS concentration in the substrate.

The electrical properties of conductive fibrous substrate having infused graphene/graphite and conductive polymer were determined. Characterization was carried out using a four-line probe method with a Keithley 224 Programmable power supply (Imax=101.1×10−3 A), while a 196 system DMA was used to measure the voltage. Resistance was first measured by creating an I-V plot with at least 10 data points. The sheet resistance Rs was then determined using the relation Rs=R(w/l) where w is the width of the sample and l is the distance between the leads. Table 1 and FIG. 2 shows the sheet resistance as a function of the concentration of graphene in the fabric substrate. The measurements are carried out using a four-line probe technique and all samples have the same area. The sheet resistance decreases with increasing graphene concentration in the substrate. At low concentration, 2.5 wt % graphene in the fabric, the sheet resistance was 77.9 MOhm/sq; while at 7.41 wt %, the sheet resistance was 3.6 KOhm/sq, which means that the sheet resistance decreased by four orders of magnitude. The 7.41 wt % concentration was therefore determined to be the percolation threshold for the sheet resistance because above this concentration a one order of magnitude difference was observed in the sheet resistance with a minimum value of 0.57 KOhm/sq. This value is nearly one order of magnitude lower than the best value reported for graphene in fabric to date.

The electrical properties of the composite graphene/graphite and PEDOT:PSS conductive fibrous substrate was determined. The effect of the DMSO-doped PEDOT:PSS on the electrical properties of the substrate containing different concentrations of graphene/graphite mix (Tables 2-7) was investigated. The measurements were carried out the same way as described in the section above. Thirteen dipping cycles, drop-casting and drying, were applied to each sample to determine the exact percolation threshold. As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the sheet resistance of the fibrous substrate containing graphene/graphite decreases with increasing concentration of PEDOT:PSS. At low graphene/graphite concentrations, 2.5 wt % and 4.4 wt %, the influence of the doped PEDOT:PSS on the sheet resistance was clear, as shown in Tables 2 and 3 with a drop of six and five orders of magnitude, respectively. PEDOT:PSS concentrations of 2.29 wt % and 1.67 wt % were set as percolation thresholds for these two samples since increasing the concentration above theses values did not drop the sheet resistance magnitude (FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B). For the substrate containing 5.79 wt % graphene/graphite, the sheet resistance dropped 3 orders of magnitude from 0.19 MOhm/sq before doping with PEDOT:PSS to 76.59 Ohm/sq at 0.833 wt % PEDOT:PSS and this value was set as the percolation threshold (Table 4 and FIG. 3C). For substrates infused with high graphene/graphite concentrations, 7.41 wt % and 10.7 wt %, the sheet resistance only dropped one order of magnitude (Tables 5 and 6 and FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B).

Table 7 summarizes the lowest sheet resistance achieved versus the total amount of conductive material in the fibrous substrate. By increasing the total amount of the conductors the sheet resistance decreased, reaching a minimum sheet resistance of 1.11 Ohm/sq, at 16.19 wt % of conductors. The lowest sheet resistance achieved was 1.11 Ohm/sq which is the lowest value reported compared to PEDOT:PSS films, PEDOT:PSS in fabric, graphene film, graphene in fabric, and the hybrid PEDOT:PSS and graphene films. Not wishing to be bound by theory, but it is believed that this low sheet resistance was attributed to PEDOT:PSS acting as the primary dopant. Incorporating graphene into the fabric increased the space between molecules leading to an increase in the diffusion coefficient of the charge carrier resulting in increased conductivity.

Example 2. Application of a Conductive Fibrous Substrate: Wire in an Electric Circuit

A comparative electrical circuit was made using a fibrous substrate (1 inch×1 inch) containing graphene/graphite in series with a power supply and light-emitting diode (LED). A second experiment using a light bulb in place of the LED did not work due to the high resistance (Rs=0.57 KOhm/sq) of the graphene/graphite.

Another electrical circuit was prepared using a fibrous substrate containing graphene/graphite and PEDOT:PSS (1 inch×1 inch, Rs=1.11 Ohm/sq) in series with a 40 watt (W) light bulb and power supply. A direct current of 2 ampere (A) at 20 volt (V) was applied across the fabric and the light bulb was powered to full intensity without sample degradation.

The experiment was then expanded to alternating current (AC) instead of direct current (DC). Higher power light bulbs, 50, 60, and 100 W, were individually connected in series with the hybrid graphene/graphite and PEDOT:PSS conductive fibrous substrate (Rs=1.11 Ohm/sq). All light bulbs were powered to full intensity indicating that the conductive fibrous substrate containing infused graphene/graphite and PEDOT:PSS mimicked a traditional copper wire electrical circuit.

A larger piece of fabric (1 inch×2.5 inch, Rs=1 Ohm/sq) containing 10.6 mg graphene/graphite and 5.78 wt % of the doped PEDOT:PSS was placed in series with an AC power supply and heat light bulb, 250 W, 120 V, to create an electrical circuit comparable to how a normal plug works when plugged wall socket. An AC (2.87 A, 122.3 V) was applied across the fibrous substate and the light was powered to full intensity with no evidence of sample breakdown.

An important application of the hybrid graphene/graphite and PEDOT:PSS fibrous substrate is as a wire in an electrical circuit due to the low sheet resistance and high current that can pass through.

Example 3. The Effect of Temperature on the Resistance of the Conductive Fibrous Substrate

The resistance as a function of temperature was studied over a wide temperature range, 10-400° K. The study was carried out on fibrous substrates containing only infused graphene/graphite and fibrous substrates containing infused graphene/graphite and PEDOT:PSS. All samples had an area of 10×5 mm2 and the measurements were made using the standard four-line probe technique with a Physical Property Measurement System (Quantum Design).

The effect of temperature on the resistance of the infused fibrous substrate containing 6.20 wt % and 14.74 wt % graphene/graphite was investigated. As shown in FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B the resistance shows the same behavior, a decrease in resistance with increasing temperature up to 350° K. This is consistent with semiconducting behavior due to disorder in the graphene/graphite sheet structure at low temperature where electron localization and hopping play a significant role. In the range of 100-250° K, the resistance is relatively constant. The change in the resistance over the entire region is 1 MOhm for 6.2 wt % and 5 KOhm for 14.74 wt %. At 350° K the fibrous substrate undergoes a distinct insulator-metal transition (inset of FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B) which indicates modulation of the band gap from a gap to no gap.

The fibrous substrate containing 14.7 wt % graphene/graphite was treated with 0.58 wt % doped PEDOT:PSS and then the resistance as a function of temperature was measured. The resistance exhibited similar behavior as the untreated graphene/graphite fibrous substrate and PEDOT:PSS treated fibrous substrate over the entire region with two important differences.

The first difference is that the resistance value is approximately 250 times lower compared to the sample prepared with only 14.7 wt % graphene/graphite. The overall resistance change was only 15 Ohm compared to 5 kOhm for graphene/graphite. Not wishing to be bound by theory, the low resistance (high conductivity) of the fibrous substrate containing the hybrid may be explained as the incorporation of graphene into PEDOT:PSS could lead to an increase in the carrier mobility due to increased space between the molecules. In the case of PEDOT:PSS fibrous substrate (no graphene/graphite), the charge transport in PEDOT:PSS occurs through a hopping process, but in the hybrid graphene/graphite and PEDOT:PSS system, the charge transport occurs due to both tunneling and hopping conduction. The incorporation of graphene into PEDOT:PSS may lead to enhanced tunneling conduction at low temperatures and hopping conduction at high temperature. This is because graphene doping leads to increase in the space between molecules resulting in an increase in the diffusion coefficients of the charge carriers. Furthermore, graphene doping PEDOT:PSS decreases the disorder strength leading to an increase in the charge mobility and thus an increase in conductivity.

The second difference is that in the hybrid graphene/graphite and PEDOT:PSS system there is a shift in the insulator-metal transition temperature from 365° K for graphene/graphite alone to 300° K for the hybrid graphene/graphite and PEDOT:PSS system.

As shown, highly conductive, metallic behaving fibrous substrate using a mixture of graphene/graphite and PEDOT:PSS was prepared.

Example 4. Morphology Study

Morphological tests were performed with a field emission scanning electron microscope (JEOL 6335 FESEM). FIG. 6A illustrates the fibrous substrate before treatment. Some slight bundling of the individual fibers is observed. The images taken of the fibrous substrate coated with PEDOT:PSS seem to infer that the coating is primarily on the surface of the fabric, as the surface tension of the fluid holds it between the fibers (FIG. 6B). There is, however, still some that penetrates deeper into the sample. In FIG. 6C, the fibrous substrate only treated with the graphene/graphite mixture is shown. These images show how the substrate's fibers are coated with pristine graphene, while the bulk graphite is caught between the fibers, which act somewhat like a net. The amount of graphite in the sample is thought to decrease closer to the middle. The final image, FIG. 6D, shows the fibrous substrate with the combination of PEDOT:PSS and graphene/graphite. Since the infusion with PEDOT:PSS is performed after the infusion of graphene/graphite, the graphitic material is sealed inside. In the image, some particles of graphene/graphite are apparent under the wrinkles in the coating.

Example 5. Mechanical Properties Study

The graphene/graphite and PEDOT:PSS infused fibrous substrate was also tested against a control in an Instron Model 1011 for tensile strength. There was a small strength increase in the treated fibrous substrate when compared to the control (FIG. 7). Looking at the scanning electron microscope images, one can see that the conductive polymer connects the fibers of the substrate. This bridging is thought to be the source of the increased strength.

A conductive fibrous substrate prepared from a PET fibrous substrate free of SiO2 desiccant particles was prepared according the two-step procedure described above in Example 1. The resistance was measured as previously described and the sheet resistance was then determined; the results are provided in the first three columns of Table 8. These results can be compared with the results of the PET fibrous substrate containing SiO2 desiccant particles in Example 1, Table 6, the relevant data of which has been included in the last two columns of Table 8.

The singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The endpoints of all ranges directed to the same characteristic or component are independently combinable and inclusive of the recited endpoint.

While the invention has been described in detail in connection with only a limited number of embodiments, it should be readily understood that the invention is not limited to such disclosed embodiments. Rather, the invention can be modified to incorporate any number of variations, alterations, substitutions, or equivalent arrangements not heretofore described, but which are commensurate with the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, while various embodiments of the invention have been described, it is to be understood that aspects of the invention can include only some of the described embodiments. Accordingly, the invention is not to be seen as limited by the foregoing description, but is only limited by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An electrically conductive fibrous substrate, comprising:

a fibrous substrate comprising fibers, wherein the fibers are polymeric fibers comprising desiccant particles wherein a portion of the desiccant particles are located at the surface of the polymeric fibers;

an electrically conductive polymer; and

a conductive organic particle,

wherein the fibrous substrate is infused with the electrically conductive polymer and conductive organic particle.

2. The electrically conductive fibrous substrate of claim 1, wherein the conductive organic particle is graphene, graphite, a combination of graphene and graphite, carbon nanotubes, buckyballs, “n-type” small molecules, or a combination thereof.

3. The electrically conductive fibrous substrate of claim 2, wherein the graphene, graphite or graphene and graphite is present in an amount of about 0.2 to about 20 wt % based on the total weight of the electrically conductive fibrous substrate.

4. The electrically conductive fibrous substrate of claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive polymer is poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate), a poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene), a substituted poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene), poly(thiophene), a substituted poly(thiophene), poly(pyrrole), a substituted poly(pyrrole), poly(aniline), a substituted poly(aniline), poly(acetylene), poly(p-phenylenevinylene) (PPV), a poly(indole), a substituted poly(indole), a poly(carbazole), a substituted poly(carbazole), a poly(azepine), a (poly)thieno[3,4-b]thiophene, a substituted poly(thieno[3,4-b]thiophene), a poly(dithieno[3,4-b:3′,4′-d]thiophene), a poly(thieno[3,4-b]furan), a substituted poly(thieno[3,4-b]furan), a derivative thereof, or a combination thereof.

5. The electrically conductive fibrous substrate of claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive polymer is present in an amount of about 0.1 to about 16 wt % based on the total weight of the electrically conductive fibrous substrate.

6. The electrically conductive fibrous substrate of claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive polymer is poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) present in an amount of about 0.1 to about 16 wt % based on the total weight of the electrically conductive fibrous substrate.

14. The electrically conductive fibrous substrate of claim 1, used as an electrode, an electrically conducting wire, replacement for indium tin oxide or copper wiring, an electrochromic display, used as a component in an electronic device, thin film batteries and energy storage, transparent solar cells, RFID, sensors, electric contacts, thermoelectrics, or smart textiles.

15. A method of making an electrically conductive fibrous substrate, comprising:

infusing a fibrous substrate with a conductive organic particle to form a conductive organic particle infused fibrous substrate; and

infusing the conductive organic particle infused fibrous substrate with an electrically conductive polymer to form an electrically conductive fibrous substrate;

wherein the fibrous substrate comprises polymeric fibers comprising desiccant particles wherein a portion of the desiccant particles are located at the surface of the polymeric fibers.